The Aftermath Of The Battle
by Angel From Above Is Here
Summary: Faragonda is crying after the battle on the grounds of Alfea. Althea finds her and gives her some advice. but what advice? And where will it lead the Headmistress? Read to find out! M rating is for the second chapter. May be precaution, may not be.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, dear readers! This is my first fanfic for the amazing fandom of Winx Club. I saw an episode yesterday and a few days ago, and it made me want to write this little story. Please let me know whether you like it or not. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. And let me know whether you would like for me to write more Faragonda/Griffin, or challenge me by telling me your favorite pairing!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. And I'm afraid I never will. (Okay, I do own Althea…)  
><strong>

**1**

Althea walked through the rubble. The battle with the Trix had ruined the school. All of the widows had been broken, the wooden doors were nothing more than a bunch of splinters and some of the walls were severaly damaged. One of them had even come down.

But she was not paying much attention to any of that. Headmistress Faragonda needed her help. Just a few moments ago, she had seen her all but run away from the battlefield. There had been tears on her face, though she had tried very hard to keep them hidden.

Faragonda had been a very big part of Althea's life for a very long time. The fairy had lost her parents when she was thirteen, and the headmistress had been the one to inform her. They had bounded in the months afterwards, talking over how much it hurt to lose those you cared about. That summer, she had stayed at Faragonda's, as her parents had been the only family she'd had left. Apparently, the time had now come for Althea to comfort Faragonda as she had done during that trying period four years ago.

"Please, wait!" she called out as she rounded a corner.

But Faragonda continued to walk, disappearing from view again. _Damned,_ Althea silently cursed. _This is not good!_

She refrained for breaking into a run, though, be it barely. She would find her anyway. There were not a lot of places left to run to. Taking a deep breath, she shook off the fatigue that was gripping at her.

In the next hallway there were only three classrooms. Knowing Faragonda would be in one of them, she walked towards the first door. She was not as lucky as she had been during the battle, because the room was empty. Sighing, she continued on to the second room.

As soon as Althea opened the door, she heard soft sobs coming from the corner farthest away from her. She walked towards the hunched figure of Faragonda slowly so she wouldn't spook her in any way.

She sank down onto her knees, pulling Faragonda towards her. She did this slowly so she could decide to pull away if she wanted to. But she didn't, she simply laid her head against Althea's shoulder. The tears soaked the material of her favorite blue shirt , which she had worn before changing into a fairy.

"What are you crying about, Fara?" she asked, using the pet name she had given Faragonda when the older fairy had given her permission to do so after nearly a year of knowing each other as more than student and headmistress.

Faragonda pushed Althea at arm's length so she could look her right into the eyes.

"It's nothing. Some old memories, emotions I thought I'd dealt with a long time ago. Apparently, I was wrong. But it doesn't matter anymore," Faragonda said.

Althea shook her head vehemently.

"It does matter if it is affecting you. What makes you say that?"

There was a long silence then. Faragonda wiped away the tears still running down her cheeks, composing herself in the process so there wouldn't be any new ones.

"Long ago, I… I fell in love. With a woman," Faragonda whispered.

Althea nodded, making it clear to Faragonda that she could continue. She was a little surprised at the admission, though she had never expected there had never been love in her life.

"This woman… She was, and is, the most precious woman I've ever met. But this war, and previously some other disputes, weighed heavy on us. We have always been in contact with one another, but much less than before. She is still the same, I saw that today. And I realized I still love her. I'm still _in love_ with her. But I think she is no longer in love with me," Faragonda whispered.

Althea somehow doubted that. Faragonda was an amazing woman, independent, strong and ready to do what needed to be done. She would fight when she needed to, but was intelligent enough to solve an issue with words before violence was due. She would tell her that later, but first there was a more pressing matter.

"You are speaking of Griffin," she said.

Faragonda nodded, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. She hadn't thought Althea would figure out whom she was speaking of, that much was obvious.

"I saw the way she was looking at you when you nearly ran from the grounds. She was very concerned. More concerned than even a best friend would have been. I think you might be wrong," Althea said.

Faragonda blinked rapidly a few times. There was doubt in her eyes, accompanied by the smallest glimmer of hope.

"Go talk to her. Tell her what's on your mind. She might surprise you," Althea said.

Before Faragonda had a chance to respond to that, the younger fairy had gotten up, turned around and left the room.

It had taken Faragonda several more hours to leave the room. She had thought of what she needed to say, of how she needed to say it and every possible way Griffin might respond to what she needed to say.

She had considered not talking to her, being afraid of making her angry. But she been had hurting over losing Griffin for so long that the weight that pressed down on her chest every day had finally become too much. She needed to know once and for all if they could be more than friends, and she would deal with whatever answer she got. So when she got up, she tried to figure out where Griffin might be at that point in time.

If the tower where her rooms were had not been destroyed, Griffin would have been there. With that no longer being an option, there were few other places left. The tree at the border of the ground on which Alfea rested and where they had often retreated when they were younger, the unused storage room at the farthest part of the school where no-one ever went because it meant solitude, and back to Cloud Tower. Cloud Tower was out of the question, as neither the students not Griffin had the power at this moment to transport all of them back. The storage room was unlikely, as every part of the school was being searched to make sure all of the creatures of evil that had attacked them under orders of Icy, Darcy and Stormy had disappeared.

Faragonda pushed herself upright, heading for the sad remnants of the once proud door. She was glad she had made the decision to finally do something, after all these years. She had been behaving like a coward, and it was time to change that.

As soon as she set foot onto the grass outside the building, she turned right. Walking alongside the wall, she followed the path they had often travelled together when Griffin had come to visit when she had been a teacher and young headmistress.

They had shared much in those days, sitting in the shadow of that ancient oak tree. Stories of the past, the present and the future they hoped to have one day. Tales that spoke of what they feared, of what they loved and what was important to them. Faragonda had missed the loser, less angry and withdrawn Griffin. She could only hope now that she would get her back.

By that time, she saw the tree she was heading for. At first sight, there was no-one there, but Faragonda could feel the energy that was unique to Griffin radiate from behind the tree. Her heels made virtually no sound as she walked across the grass, but she knew Griffin already knew she was there.

"Hey there,"' she said as she stepped pas the tree.

Griffin didn't immediately say anything, but gestured for Faragonda to sit down next to her before speaking. Faragonda did so immediately, ending up barely an inch from the witch.

"Hello to you too," Griffin said.

Her voice was sad, Faragonda noticed. And she was somewhat hoarse, as she was, after screaming so much during the battle.

"Why are you here on your own? Are you okay?" Faragonda asked.

Griffin sighed, something Faragonda knew she almost never did. Before she could help herself, she had placed her hand on top of Griffin's. But the witch did not pull away. On the contrary, she grabbed a hold of the hand.

"I needed to think. I was feeling terribly sorry for myself, and for everything that happened. And then, there was you," she said.

"Me?" Faragonda asked in barely more than a whisper.

Griffin nodded, squeezing Faragonda's hand tighter than she had so far. Faragonda moved closer to her, closing the distance between them. Griffin's other hand came up, making Faragonda rest her head against the witch's shoulder.

"I saw you cry, and I realized I was to blame for this. If I'd seen through the façade those witches were putting up sooner, if I'd been stronger and had been able to stop them, if I hadn't been so utterly dumb all those years ago and now, you wouldn't have had to cry," Griffin whispered.

Faragonda turned her head slightly, so she was now looking at Griffin without having to break away from her.

"Those witches were simply too strong. You could not have changed a thing, the powers they used compared in nothing to what you teach at Cloud Tower. They chose their path, and would allow for nothing to distract them from it. And we were both rather dumb back then," Faragonda said.

Griffin shook her head, which caused Faragonda to shake slightly as well.

"I pushed you away. I screamed, I threatened and I pushed until you took enough distance from me to make me feel like I wouldn't drag you down with me when I fell. But it hurt me, and it hurt you. It took a battle to make me see I couldn't live without you. How dense is that?" Griffin spoke, the self-loathing clear in her voice.

Faragonda pushed herself upright, shaking her head. She lifted Griffin's chin with her hand, forcing pools of light brown to meet pools of dark blue.

"You know how stubborn I am. I could have forced you to listen, I could have stayed put and not turned my back on you. I could have refused to be pushed away. I gave up. I was wrong too," Faragonda said.

Faragonda saw tears glittering in the brown eyes. Slowly she lifted her hand to brush them away the moment they fell.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice? Why are you forgiving me?" Griffin asked.

Faragonda shifted positions yet again, bending forward so she could rest her forehead against Griffin's.

"Because I know you were scared at that time. Scared that you would turn evil, as your whole family had before you. I know you wanted to spare me the pain of losing you to evil, and you found no other way than putting distance between us, emotionally and physically. And because I love you. Always have and always will," she said.

Griffin's eyes closed at hearing that. Faragonda did not move, giving the witch the time to take in the meaning of the words.

"I love you too. I know how much you cried when I refused to talk anymore, how much it pained you when I began writing back again but without telling you anything about what I was feeling, or what was going on in my life. I took a part of you with me, and I know you never got it back," she whispered.

Faragonda waited patiently for Griffin to look at her again. It was only after two full minutes that the witch did so.

"Griff, you are trying to give me back what I los right now. You are succeeding in doing that," Faragonda said, using the pet name she had given Griffin not long after they had met.

"It's so long since you've called me that…," Griffin whispered.

Faragonda nodded, it was the truth. She could even tell exactly how long it had been. Ten years, two months and five days.

"It was torture not being able to call you Griff every time we were together. I've had to bite my tongue on more than one occasion. But there's nothing that's going to make me stop now," Faragonda said.

She leaned even closer to Griffin, their lips less than an inch apart. She could feel the witch breathing against her lips, quicker than normal because of the proximity of the one she loved.

Faragonda was at odds with herself. She wanted to kiss Griffin, but it was important that the witch knew nothing would happen without the consent of the other. Griffin had suffered, had lost her faith in people because Faragonda had not immediately seen through the mask she had been wearing.

"I think I should move," Faragonda whispered.

When she began to pull back, however, Griffin grabbed her other hand as well and kept her in place.

"Why?" she asked, the fear she was feeling obvious.

Faragonda smiled reassuringly to let Griffin know nothing bad was happening.

"Because being this close to you makes me want to kiss you. And I'm too close to keep myself from doing that," she said.

Griffin gave her first real smile in years at hearing Faragonda say that, which warmed the fairy's heart. Griffin was warmer, gentler and more loving than she was giving herself credit for.

"Then don't keep yourself from doing it. I want you to kiss me," Griffin admitted.

Faragonda's heart was beating very rapidly, her breathing sped up.

"Ask me. Ask me to kiss you so you know it's your decision, and I will," Faragonda whispered.

Griffin looked at her, obviously happy with what she saw because she smiled.

"Fara, will you please kiss me?" she asked, using her self-designed pet name for the one she loved.

Faragonda nodded. Bringing her head down whilst closing her eyes, she connected her lips to Griffin's in the softest, sweetest kiss imaginable. There was no obligation, just the pliable warmth of the lips of the witch and the sigh of happiness that escaped the both of them.

Faragonda brought her hand up, placing it against Griffin's cheek and sliding her fingers along her jaw line. The witch shuddered, making the fairy smile.

"You're beautiful, Griff. Don't let anyone ever tell you different," Faragonda whispered into Griffin's ear as soon as they parted.

She knew Griffin had been called many things throughout the years, but beautiful was not one of them.

"So are you, Fara," Griffin said.

Faragonda started pulling away again, but this time she did not let go of Griffin's hands. She pulled her up with her, stepping close enough to rest her head against her as soon as they were both on their feet.

"Let's get out of here," Faragonda said. "Let's go home."

"I think that would be best. We are both injured, and tired. And if I look even half as bad as you do, it must be quite the sight," Griffin joked.

Faragonda smiled and took her hand, transporting them to her home with the help of her magic.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here it is, the second and final chapter to this story. Let me know whether you like it! There will be a sequel to look forward too, if you would like to read it, keep an eye out for it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club. And I never will, either.**

******2**

Faragonda and Griffin appeared in front of the small house Faragonda resided in during the months she wasn't at the school. Alfea truly was her life, but she needed to escape the confinement, the prying eyes of Griselda and the students every once in a while. This house had always been her safe haven, the place no-one ever came to when they were looking for her. Apart from Griffin and Saladin there was no-one who knew the address.

"It's been a long time since I saw my house. Half a year, to be exact. It's good to be back," Faragonda smiled.

Griffin pulled her hand, directing her towards the door. Being outside was something Faragonda greatly enjoyed, but she was glad that Griffin had noticed how tired she was. She'd been putting up a brave face in front of her colleagues before, and she was simply done being strong for the day.

Putting her key into the lock, she opened the door. The smell, the warmth and the simple knowledge that she was home made her feel like the weight of the world had just been lifted off her shoulders.

"You should have a seat, drink some tea. You're shaking," Griffin whispered.

Faragonda nodded. Her companion was right, she was trembling, and it wasn't from cold. The emotions she had been struggling with during the battles against the Trix and the raging storm centering around Griffin that had been going on for over ten years were by now really taking their toll.

"I'll get us both some tea. It seems like we could both do with it. And after that, we'll deal with our injuries. They aren't that bad, but they should be tended to none the less," Faragonda said.

Griffin bowed her head in agreement as they finally stepped into the hallway. Faragonda was glad she wasn't struggling, she usually hid from curious gazes and dealt with everything on her own. It was nice to be let in for once, she mused as she walked towards the door leading to the living room.

The room looked picture perfect. There were a couple of candles on the small table, the phone was standing on a wooden cupboard and the books were all neatly organized on shelves against two of the room's walls. But what really made this room feel like it truly belonged to Faragonda, was the painting above the sofa. It wasn't one that drew attention, there were no bright colors or breathtaking scenes on the canvas. It was simply a dark blue vase containing two red roses. The stems were bending away from each other, though the flowers' heads were leaning towards each other. If you looked at it more closely, you could even see a heart in there.

Faragonda motioned for Griffin to sit down on the sofa. The witch immediately did so, and Faragonda pushed the door leading to the kitchen open. As soon as she was in there, she grabbed the teapot and boiled water.

"Is chamomile okay?" she called out.

Her cupboards were rather empty after spending half a year at Alfea, so she had no other tea left than chamomile and rosehip.

"It is. I drink it all, so don't worry too much," Griffin responded.

Ten minutes later, two cups of steaming tea were standing on two plates on the table. Faragonda had also brought milk and honey to add to the tea, and some cookies. Not that either one of them was hungry, but it made things seem more normal than they had for a long time. And they would probably get hungry in a bit, so they might have a purpose after all.

Faragonda decided that she would take a seat next to Griffin, instead of sitting down opposite her at the other side of the table. She was not going to let go of her until she really had to. She added a small amount of honey to the tea before placing it back onto the small plate to let it cool down.

"You still make your tea the same way," Griffin smiled.

Faragonda was touched she could tell that, and a little surprised that she was right. When she was younger she had often said that there was no-one that knew her better than Griffin, and apparently she had been very right about that.

"Why change something when it works for you?" the fairy smiled back.

Faragonda lifted her cup, sipping the hot tea carefully. She closed her eyes for a second, glad for the comforting sensation of the warmth of the liquid spreading through her. When there had been nothing but clouds and creatures to torment them, she had tied finding solace in the smallest things, like seeing the faces of her students and realizing they were alive, the hugs and touches the Winx girls had given the Specialist they had fallen in love with, the few seconds every day when the sun broke through. But this was even better.

Both women remained silent for a while, enjoying one another's company, letting nothing disturb the peace and quiet that had settled over them.

Faragonda lifted her feet, removed her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her. Her skirt was hindering her somewhat, though she managed to get comfortable without too much of a fuss. Griffin apparently approved of her tactic, because she also shifted position. She refrained, however, from getting out of her shoes and lifting her legs onto the sofa as well.

"The sofa won't bite, you know. And neither will I," Faragonda said.

Griffin chuckled slightly at that. The fairy extended a hand, pulling Griffin towards her so she had no choice but to mover her legs onto the sofa to stay comfortable.

"Alright, I will follow your lead," Griffin said, the corners of her mouth twitching a little.

Faragonda noticed the blood on Griffin's stockings. It pained her heart to know the witch had been hurt, and she wanted to have a look at the wounds. She was not going to give Griffin a chance to pretend she was fine when it was obvious she wasn't.

"Do you think you could prop yourself up against those pillows so I can have a look at the wounds you've got? I know, I'd rather sit here and cuddle up for a while, but the longer we wait, the bigger the chance is there'll be an infection or that we'll lose more blood than is good for us. And yes, you get to check me over as well," she said, knowing the witch would worry until she had seen for herself the fairy would be fine.

Griffin groaned, making Faragonda use her most stern look on her, even though she knew Griffin was well aware of the fact there would be trouble if she did not at least clean the wounds. There was most certainly dirt in them since the battlefield had consisted of wet grass, mud and stone. Not to mention the vile creatures themselves.

After squeezing the witch's hand one last time, Faragonda left for the kitchen again. When she returned, she was carrying a wooden box which contained everything they could possibly need: a potion to disinfect the wounds, bandages and simple band aids. She walked straight towards Griffin, who had in the mean time gotten into a more upright position.

"I suggest you get out of your stockings," Faragonda said whilst placing the box onto the table and opening it.

Grumbling, Griffin mumbled a few words in such a soft tone that Faragonda could not make them out. But the effect was instantaneous and noticeable, because the dark grey stockings vanished immediately.

Seeing the cut the fabric had been hiding, the fairy noticed it wasn't very deep. It wouldn't need stitching up, and a bandage would do the trick nicely once she had applied some of the potion.

Instead of talking, she opened the bottle and drizzled some of the liquid onto Griffin's leg. With a small cloth she began to rub it in, trying to make it as quick and painless as she possible could.

Griffin didn't complain, though Faragonda knew from experience the potion stung. She was going to dress the wound, but Griffin suddenly grabbed her hand, making her stop. She looked at her questioningly.

"I would like to take a bath, if that's possible. Just to relax. Could you dress it after that?" she asked.

A bath seemed like a great idea. The soaking would clean the wounds out a second time, which would make sure there wasn't any dirt in there. It would make sure the witch could relax somewhat as well. And those advantages went for her as well.

"I could most certainly do that. As soon as I've looked at the other wounds you've got, you can have a bath. And I will be taking one as well," Faragonda said.

She hadn't expected Griffin's mouth to drop open and for her to stare at her, blinking rapidly. Faragonda was just about to ask her what was wrong when Griffin found her voice again.

"With me, or on your own?" Griffin asked, the uncertainty evident in her voice.

The fairy had to admit that was a very good question. She would like to join the witch in the bathroom, but she wasn't sure Griffin was ready for that. So she decided to push the ball into her camp.

"Why don't you tell me that?" Faragonda said softly.

Griffin bit her lower lip whilst thinking. Faragonda gave her the time she needed, drizzling some potion onto a second piece of cloth and softly rubbing it over the scratch on her cheek. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her breathing and tried to block out the stinging sensation.

When she looked at Griffin again, the witch was staring at her with an unreadable emotion in her eyes. Faragonda entwined their fingers, rubbing her thumb over the witch's knuckles. Trying to eliminate the fear and uncertainty that was grabbing a hold of her.

"Isn't it too soon to do that? I don't want you to do anything you don't want to," Griffin finally said.

Faragonda pushed Griffin's legs a little further on the sofa, sitting down right next to her with her hand still clasped within her own. She wanted what she was about to say next to be very clear, there was no room for misunderstanding.

"We are old enough to be acting quickly. We know the risks, we can deal with them if they should arise. And we have know each other for three decades, Griff. Why wouldn't we be able to make the right decision then? And I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with either. That's why I'm asking you what you want to do," Faragonda said.

Griffin leaned forward, resting her head against the fairy similarly to how Faragonda had done before they left Alfea. Faragonda's hand came up to rub Griffin's hair lightly, playing with the strands.

"If you promise to be careful with me, to guide me, then I will take that bath with you," Griffin finally said, her voice muffled a bit because of her proximity to Faragonda's blouse.

This was an enormous show of confidence, the fairy was well aware of that. It brought tears to her eyes that Griffin would choose her, of all people, as the one she would allow close enough to see the good, the bad and the ugly. The love, the pain, the joy and the sadness.

"I'm honored. Come on, let's take this to the bathroom. I'll finish checking you over there, and you can do the same for me," Faragonda said.

She stood up, letting Griffin swing her legs off of the sofa so she could follow her. But the witch looped and arm around the fairy's waist, keeping her close. Faragonda smiled, resting her hand on top of the witch's. She was rapidly getting used to being this close to her, it was intoxicating.

Leading the witch up the stairs and over the landing, she made her step into the bathroom. After a quick look around, she was glad to find everything she would need was there, apart from an extra towel.

"You can start getting undressed, I will turn on the water and grab you a towel. I'll be right back," Faragonda promised.

Griffin pulled her against her as soon as she made to turn, bending her head to press her lips to Faragonda's. The fairy closed her eyes at the contact, enjoying the fact they were finally doing this. In her dreams, they had kissed millions of times, but none of those kissed compared to the two she had gotten so far.

"I think I'd much rather have you help me out of these clothes," Griffin whispered as soon as the kiss broke.

Faragonda's breathing rate sped up at hearing that. She groaned, pressing her lips to Griffin's once more before rapidly turning around.

"I'll be back really soon," she said.

Griffin chuckled as she left to grab the towel from the closet on the landing. Faragonda chose one of the biggest ones she had and took two nightgowns and some underwear with her as well, since they would need something to wear and Griffin hadn't brought anything. Knowing Griffin liked darker colors, she selected a dark blue one for her, and took a green one for herself.

Laying them out on the bed in the room next to the bathroom, she couldn't help but smooth down the covers and pillows. She didn't want Griffin thinking she didn't take care of her stuff or herself when she stepped in the bedroom to get dressed. She shook her head, though, realizing she was behaving like a teenager who invited her first love into her bedroom for the first time. By no rights should she feel like that, but she couldn't help it.

She stepped into the bathroom again, only to find Griffin sitting on the edge of the tub, her legs crossed and her hands next to her to keep herself balanced. She looked very relaxed, even at home there. Faragonda walked over to her, turned off the water and dipped her hand into it and used her wet hand to push Griffin's hand behind her ears.

"Normal people remove their clothes before getting themselves or others wet, Fara," the witch said, smiling.

Faragonda's eyes twinkled. She recognized a challenge when she was presented with one, and she would take it.

"Maybe I should start getting you out of that dress than?" she whispered straight into Griffin's ear.

Griffin nodded, grabbing a hold of her hand and directing it towards the buttons on the top of her dress.

"It won't take you long," she whispered back.

And Faragonda was glad to find Griffin was opening the buttons of her blouse as soon as the words had died away. Within seconds, the dress was pooling at her feet, and the blouse was joining it on the floor. Her skirt followed.

A little self-conscious, they stepped out of their underwear. They both tensed a little when they realized just how close they were standing together. But the slight tension broke when Faragonda stepped into the water and sat down, sighing in contentment. Griffin joined her quickly. She hadn't properly sat down before Faragonda pulled her close and began trailing her fingers down her arms. Faragonda had decided to mix pleasure and necessity by making the examination more enjoyable by massaging the skin she encountered. Griffin sighed, leaning fully against her now.

"It would seem you have a lot of bruises, but only two more cuts until this point," Faragonda said softly after a little time.

She was still massaging Griffin's back at that time. She had already worked her way down her arms, had checked her neck and had looked at her legs in the living room. When she added soap to the equation and began cleaning Griffin's skin, the witch actually purred.

"Turn around, I need to check the front as well," Faragonda whispered.

Griffin did as she was bid. Faragonda continued her path with the soap, keeping an eye out for other injuries. But she encountered only a few more scratches that would be healed in a week.

"You were lucky. With a bandage, a few band aids and some more of that potion tomorrow you will be healed within three weeks," she said happily.

Knowing it was her turn to be looked over, she now got up, turned around and sat back down so she could rest her head in Griffin's shoulder. The witch lost no time, immediately beginning to press and prod to make sure the one she loved had no broken bones or serious injuries.

Faragonda hummed in contentment to the soft kneading Griffin was doing. The tension was ebbing out of her muscles with every minutes that past, she was starting to feel sleepy and she felt really loved.

"Could you get that potion here? You have a rather bad cut on your hip that I'd like to treat with it. And I'll have to cover it later," Griffin suddenly whispered.

Faragonda nodded, uttering a single word. The red bottle appeared in front of her, suspended in the air until Griffin grabbed a hold of it. The witch drizzled some onto her fingers and rub it onto the cut. Faragonda closed her eyes for a second, but it didn't sting even half as much as it usually did.

"You've manages to get yourself a couple of really ugly bruises. Your cheek, you ankle," Griffin clacked her tongue disapprovingly, but pressed a kiss to Faragonda's shoulder none the less.

"They will heal. The cut was the only 'bad' injury I had, if you can even call it that. I'll be as good as new in a week or three, just like you," the fairy assured her patiently.

Griffin would want to monitor the cut, Faragonda knew, and she would gladly let her do it. Feeling really drained now, she nestled more fully against the witch, closing her eyes. She felt like she'd be able to sleep for a week. Griffin apparently felt the same way, because she softly told her:

"Come on, we should be getting to bed. We need to rest."

Faragonda groaned as she pushed herself up. She wasn't looking forward to moving, so she wrinkled her nose. Griffin lifted her hand, hiding the fact she was giggling about the face Faragonda was pulling. The both of them were feeling free, as there wasn't a care in the world.

The women began to dry themselves. Faragonda shivered a bit. It wasn't cold in the house, but the difference in temperature between the water and the air was bigger than she had anticipated. Griffin rubbed the towel over her arms with a little more force than she normally would have, heating her skin up slightly.

Faragonda folded the towel, pecked Griffin on the lips one more time and slid into the bedroom to get dressed. The less time she wasted before putting her nightgown on, the quicker she would be in the land of dreams she so desperately longed to be in. Mumbling under her breath, she put on her underwear and moved on to lift her arm so she could let her nightgown slide on.

Griffin joined her two minutes later, looking absolutely amazing. Her skin was not as pale anymore, she looked healthier and beautiful. She also got dressed, and Faragonda noticed she was getting irritated by one strand of her hair because it kept falling in front of her eyes.

"Here, let me," Faragonda suggested.

With a certain hand, she pushed the lock away. And for one reason or another, it did not come back. Griffin smiled whilst closing the buttons on the nightgown.

Faragonda threw back the covers, sitting down on the bed. Gesturing for Griffin to do the same, she pushed against the pillow a few times to make it more comfortable.

The witch took the hint, fluffing up the pillow and laying down. Faragonda was glad to notice that the witch opened her arms to allow her in as soon as she was laying down. She immediately took the invitation, nestling herself in the crook of Griffin's arm and placing her arm over her waist.

"I love you," she said in barely more than a whisper, wanting to make sure Griffin would never forget that.

Griffin's hold on her tightened for a second. She could hear her heart begin to beat faster, and the witch released a breath she probably hadn't know she was holding. The fairy realized she had been a little frightened this was nothing but a dream. But Faragonda would tell her this was real as many times as she needed to hear it, so she would never have to doubt it.

"I love you too. Now rest," Griffin softly spoke.

As Faragonda closed her eyes, she felt Griffin press one last kiss to the top of her head.

Yes, there would be difficulties and things they disagreed over in the future, she realized. But they would get through whatever destiny had in store or them, because they loved one another. And love conquered everything.


End file.
